5 lessons for living
Good morning,
My favorite author, Robin Sharma, has a quote that I think about often.
“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”
What does this mean?
Don’t get stuck doing the same old thing. Try new foods. New places. New people. And anything that makes you feel more alive.
Life is for experiencing.
I’m a big believer in setting up routines that build amazing habits.
But don’t forget to reach outside your comfort zone and shake things up every once in a while too.
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“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
— Buddha
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5 years ago, I read the 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware. It was a book that changed my perspective on many things, so I’d like to share the main lessons with you.
Bronnie spent years as a long term care provider for the terminally ill.
She identified patterns among the main life regrets of her patients. They are life lessons we can all use now to better our lives.
Regret # 1. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected from me.”
Bronnie cared for a woman who stayed with the same controlling man her entire life to please her family. When he died, she found out she was sick shortly after. She was never able to truly live.
In fact, this was the most common regret of her patients. We feel we should have a certain job. Or be a certain wife or mother. We give in to peer pressure.
Lesson: Let go of what others think and be true to yourself.
Regret #2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
She tells the story of a husband and wife who dreamed of traveling together after retirement. The man continually put off his retirement for “one more year,” until they eventually found out that she was ill. She died before they could live out their dream. And he regretted his decision to keep working until his dying day.
Another woman regretted that she spent so many years in a job that wasn’t part of her life’s purpose.
Lesson: Spend enough time with people you love and in a job that fulfills you. At the end of your life, the hours of working for money and status matter much less than you think.
Regret #3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
Millions of people do not live to old age.
Some die unexpectedly.
There was a heartbreaking story of a mom in her 40s leaving behind a nine-year-old daughter.
Lesson: You never know when it is your time. It’s important to tell the people in your life that you love them often. Give Hugs. And be open and honest in relationships.
Regret #4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
Bronnie found that many of her patients were quite lonely. While families were present, they were often out of town or running their own lives as well.
Many people regretted not having made the effort to make like-minded friends or stay in touch with old ones.
Lesson: In today’s society, we have many friendly acquaintances (thanks social media!), but fewer true friends that will be there for us when we need it.
Life gets busy and time slips by. But don’t let relationships slip with it.
Regret #5. “I wish I had let myself be happier.”
Some patients felt they weren’t deserving of happiness. Others regretted worrying too much over trivial things and being overly focused on results throughout their lives.
Happiness is RIGHT NOW. It’s not whether you get a thinner body or make more money. It’s the little moments in your day.
As Bronnie says in the book, “we have the freedom to choose what we focus on.”
Lesson: You can train your mind to think positively and appreciate the radiant sunshine or gorgeous flower. Choose where to put your energy.
In the end, Bronnie found that no one cared about the stuff they owned.
They cared about
- what they did
- how happy they let themselves be
- and the positive influence they had on others.
Question: What fast food chain uses the slogan “Have it your way”?
Answer at the end of this email
What is one thing you’d like to do for others this weekend?
In 1998, Burger King introduced a special Whopper for left-handed customers, claiming the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for their convenience.
People eagerly requested it, unaware they could simply turn the burger themselves—or that the promotion debuted on April 1, April Fools’ Day. 🤣🍔
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Trivia Answer: Burger King
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter. If you have anything at all you’d like to share, ask, or say, just hit reply. I’d love to hear from you.
Love always,
Jenn Kropf
Founder of Healthy Happy Impactful
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